


1 Corinthians

by spnsmile



Series: Destiel Prompt August Collection 2020 [17]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Case Fic, Castiel and Dean Winchester Being Idiots, Castiel and Dean Winchester Need to Use Their Words, Castiel and Dean Winchester Use Their Words, Castiel in the Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Castiel/Dean Winchester One Shot, Castiel/Dean Winchester in the Men of Letters Bunker, Cherubim, Confessions, Declarations Of Love, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Fluff, Domesticity in the Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Fluff and Angst, Fluff in the Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Honesty, Kidnapped Dean Winchester, Lies, Love Confessions, Love Potion/Spell, M/M, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Random & Short, Sad Ending, Sad and Happy, Season/Series 15, Short, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Talking, True Love, Truth Serum, Truth Spells
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:35:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26372803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spnsmile/pseuds/spnsmile
Summary: Written for writer's month prompt: cookinginspired by verobatto-angelxhunter's art!When Heaven considered their Warriors of rank in battle more important than those angels that spread ‘Love’, no wonder the human world reflects the same.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Destiel Prompt August Collection 2020 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860856
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	1 Corinthians

**Author's Note:**

> After a case with a Cherub gone rogue, Dean cooks for Castiel but it’s not a simple meal. Part of the ingredients is cupid dust that glitters gold he got from a cherub who told him his angel is lying and one take would make the angel spill everything.  
> Is Dean ready for the truth?

from my wonderful friend, [verobatto-angelxhunter](https://verobatto-angelxhunter.tumblr.com/) whos magnificent art inspired the story!

I literally snatched it from a bang that vanished like Atlantis hehe :) lucky me! 

* * *

Cherubs are Dean’s least favorite of all Supernatural beings, and not because of that one time where he punched a cupid for talking about his parents dancing in the palms of heaven some years ago.

They are considered lowly angels according to Cas while wielding their tiny cupid’s arrow singing about fate and destiny in their heart’s content all in the name of a mission. But Dean never figured why they are considered of low status when they literally control strings of the fate of every human—of who falls in love with who that would set different paths, creating new lives and continuing the promised ‘propagate while holding their hearts.

In short, love which for him is the most important thing. When Heaven considered their Warriors of rank in battle more important than those angels that spread ‘ _Love’,_ no wonder the human world reflects the same.

So yes, contrary to belief, he considers cherubs the most dangerous of all.

Which doesn’t surprise him to find a rouge cherub was the root of evil in a small town he and Castiel had chosen to investigate. He’s dealt with demons, angels, reapers, all sorts of monsters even a Nephilim, but when faced by a cherub controlling the whole town to his will and contentment, Dean knew that’s sick. Especially when he heard the cherub’s confession of how it began by falling in love with a human, Dean just stared at him with a voice at the back of his mind telling him ‘ _knew it would happen sooner than later’._

Being a cherub is a dangerous job. You don’t fuck around with intense emotion, certainly can’t be given with power like that. How do you label a cupid meant to bring two hearts together—to act possessively and use its powers to take advantage and ‘make’ someone fall in love?

Seriously dangerous.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging cherubs acting like literal human trash,” Dean tells the Cherub currently holding him hostage in a basement after getting separated with Castiel in a hunt they’ve been doing a follow out across town. Bound on the chair with hands behind him under the interrogation light, Dean Winchester stares the cherub condescendingly, “But you’re a helluva-son-of-a-bitch to force someone to marry you. Ten years? Wake up, dickbag, you’re living a lie—you forced someone to stay with you against their will—you ever think how your wife actually felt?”

“She’s happy.”

Dean smirks. “Then the jokes on you, real happiness doesn’t mean forcing anyone into anything! That’s not true love—"

A flash of angel blade Dean dropped when the cupid sneaked behind him and Dean’s right cheek bleeds from the swift cut. The cupid leans down on him hard, blade pointing under his chin.

“I will decide what is true and what is lie, unlike you traipsing between the two not knowing what to believe and that’s pathetic. Love and lie go hand in hand… but Dean Winchester would know that, right? The Righteous man chosen by Heaven to be its Knight would know when you got one of their most powerful commanders to fall in love with you. You can’t be the hypocrite here, Winchester. That Love? It destroyed Heaven. The joke was on them… and guess why the joke’s on you too? Because all this time, while you feel all high and mighty for gaining ‘true love’ from an angel, your angel’s been lying to you too.”

Dean’s blanks out. The dark glimmer in the cupid’s eyes sent a chill in his spine that made him struggle against the ropes with a heavy stone sinking in his stomach. If this was some ruse—because he knows it is and shouldn’t be falling in the trap—this cupid will regret it while he breathes, talking about Castiel like that.

“What the hell do you mean by that…?” he says in a dead whisper.

“I can tell he’s keeping a secret, and it mostly concerns… his profound bond with you. I would praise the cupid that made him fall head over heels for you, but alas no Cherub can trigger that massive reaction from another heavenly being. So you can live on basking in the idea that he does love you purely. But he’s lying. Tell me, Dean, how many times has he lied to you while claiming it’s because he loves you?”

“Stop it,” Dean grits his teeth while his heart races.

The Cherub grins and as if he can read Dean’s mind, he nods in understanding and Dean hates it.

“Oh… many times? And you forgive him again and again? You love him so…? I wonder who’s living the lie now.” The Cherub smiles thoughtfully as he straightens his back, still gazing at Dean. “Castiel and I are the same, I suppose.”

Dean’s blood boils and all he sees is red.

“Don’t you compare yourself— _sonofva— don’t you compare Castiel to your dirty and selfish—"_ he couldn’t finish as the words stumble one after another in his anger. His voice shakes, his lips quiver with rage—he just wants to stab the cupid in the face out of pure hatred.

The cherub watches him with narrowed eyes.

“It’s satisfying to see you out of sorts when your emotion for him is that intense. Do you know your soul glows? Do you even know how Cupids like myself feel when we’re around you and Castiel… that amount of love… is fascinating so imagine turn that love into hatred, Winchester?”

Dean shuts his lips and he closes his eyes. A loud pounding inside his head is

“You can’t get between me and Cas… I won’t let you win. I trust him. Just kill me now but enough talking about Cas.”

The Cherub ogles at him and Dean thought for a second, he looks impressed. Then he takes something from his pocket. He produces a tiny vial no bigger than a thumb with gold powder that glitters the more it is exposed to light.

“I will not kill you but instead, will part you with a gift. I rather you find out on your own.” He steps closer to Dean, stops at the deadly look Dean gives him but then dropped the vial in Dean’s jacket pocket. “Go live with the choice and find out the truth, see how you live with it.”

“What is it?” Dean growls.

“Cupid dust. A small intake can make one the most honest of all. It reveals what’s inside a being’s real heart if you will.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Mmm. Good luck.”

He leaves Dean with a smirk, but before the echo of his footsteps disappears, there’s a blinding flash of light from the doorway, a sound of something heavy dropping on the floor—and then Castiel appearing on the doorway with eyes wildly searching around until they fall on Dean.

Castiel’s sigh is mostly reprimanding but Dean can only stare at him in silence thinking of this lie Cas has been keeping.

They met with the wife who looked like she woke up from a very long dream and demanded to know everything but Dean couldn’t help with that. So he tells her what he knows, told her she’s been a love spell, and if she didn’t believe that go check her marriage records and photo albums of the past ten years. That time, Castiel was more of the sympathizer than Dean could ever be, he soothed the lady while Dean walked out the door.

He shouldn’t let it bother him, but it does. Castiel’s keeping a secret and they should be talking about it. It slithers under his skin, crawls around the back of his neck till it wraps in his head but getting angry won’t get him anywhere.

He should trust Cas more, he tells himself as they drive back to the Bunker with Cas asking if he’s really okay, but if Dean was going to be honest with himself, trusting Cas was like trusting a drunkard not to drink again. They never really take care of themselves.

* * *

Dean frowns at the soup still simmering on the pot he made that night. Sam did not like the smell of the beef cubes nor the beef stew in general but hell didn’t make it for Sam so he told his brother to bolt. Sam didn’t need to be told twice and he’s out of the room in a blink while Dean stood in front of the stove with arms crossed.

He thinks it’s wrong. That he could ask Cas about it without using any pesky cupid dust, but for whatever reason that Cas was keeping it must be so important or life-threatening.

That had Dean pulling the vial because once Castiel deemed a situation too dangerous for the Winchesters, he goes and fuck himself without caring whether he lives or dies. So it’s up to Dean to decide.

Dean takes the vial with the powder glittering, almost flashing when he uncorks it and peppers it on the boiling stew. The soup glows gold for a few seconds before returning to its normal color.

“Dean?”

[ ](https://verobatto-messy-art.tumblr.com/post/628553246866292736/okay-so-i-made-this-drawing-for-a-bang-that-just)

Dean nearly dropped the vial but he got it right inside his pocket before turning to face the angel. Cas is squinting at him uncertainly by the door.

“Hey, just in time for dinner. Join me, alright?”

“Um, you want me too—”

“Sure, why not?” he gives Castiel an incredulous look to which the angel seemed relieved for a second. What was that about?

“Um… okay. But what was that light?”

“Light? What light?” Dean blinks in feign innocence. Castiel frowns as he steps forward, features handsome with familiar line gracing his forehead when concerned.

“That… light…”

“I’m cooking, you think maybe it’s the fire? Why don’t you sit down, I’ll serve you a bowl?”

Castiel seemed hesitant when he stares down the table, looks back at Dean but the hunter knows Castiel will never say no to him. The angel takes his seat while Dean serves him a bowl, carefully setting it on the table and sitting opposite Castiel.

“What about yours?” he asks when Dean pushes the bowl in the middle of the table.

“I uh… I’ll get mine soon, just wanted to know if… you think this is good enough?”

“Dean, you know my ability to taste is on a molecular level I, don’t really think—”

“Yeah so I made it for angel’s liking,” he grins, “You know more of this and more of that.”

“If you put more seasonings in your meal than what you already apply, that will be bad for your health.”

“So? You’re the angel so heal me.” He waits in anticipation for Castiel to pick up the spoon and smiles wide when the angel did. He shouldn’t be nervous but he is. The idea of using magic over his friend to find the truth seems pathetic now and Dean battles with a guilty conscience. Castiel seems to feel it because he pauses when he pulls the bowl to his side. Dean bites his bottom lip.

Cas tilts his head and blinks down his soup. Dean watches Castiel let go of the spoon.

Shit— _did Cas just doubt him?_

To his horror, Castiel stares up with blue eyes shining and it blows Dean away.

“Cas— what?”

Castiel drops his eyes on the bowl.

“Sam said you’re acting strange again and that I should watch out for a breakup. And I know you’ve been angry since the cherub case, I just don’t know why. I could speculate and worry but I could never fathom the depth of your feelings, it sometimes scares me we would just fall apart again. From my past experience, I did not like it so if you have any resentment against me, just tell me. It’s better that I know how to approach this without the two of us breaking apart, I don’t want to go away like that again. But since you still want my presence and even gave me your precious cooking, I…”

And he shines when he smiles unbiddenly with the corner of his eyes crinkling softly it makes Dean really forget he is some badass angel of the lord. Dean is also struck at the angel’s impression of his cooking and wordlessly gestures at the bowl.

“Cas, it’s just a bowl of soup.” He mutters guiltily. The angel shakes his head.

“It’s not. It makes me happy because we’re okay.”

Dean’s heart skyrocket. It’s the happiest he’s seen the angel—apart from Jack’s return or them finally making up in Purgatory after weeks of misunderstanding, Dean did not expect a small gesture of inviting Castiel like this will make him so happy, not even doubting that the hunter has other things cooked up for him. The more he watches the angel, the more he doubts if he should do this—make Castiel fess up using some dirty trick—what a dick bag.

Cas takes the spoon again, blue eyes still twinkling.

“Thank you, Dean,”

Guilt drives Dean to take back the soup and snatch the spoon from the angel’s hand.

“On second thought, I think this taste bad.” He says. “I’ll make another one.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind—" Castiel tried to take the bowl back but Dean raises it up to his lips.

“No, no, if you’re gonna be that happy about it, I should make you something better.” Dean eats the stew and makes noises from his throat. Castiel looks shocked.

“Yep, it’s not good,” he says grouchily, “I’m gonna make you another one just wait—I want to make one better, it’ll kill you of happiness.”

Castiel pauses, then break into another small smile but he seems to enjoy Dean eating all the same when he leans on the table.

“I hope not. I hate not to see you again.”

“Shut up.” Ears pink, Dean takes the last slurp and burps when he sets the bowl down, feeling nauseous. Castiel just watches him fondly.

“I uh… gonna make you another.”

“It’s okay. But… do you want to talk about the case?”

Dean raises a hand then belches so loud even Cas had to look away in embarrassment for the hunter.

“Yeah, about that… cupid jumping at the bad apple called love, huh?”

The gaze the angel gave him is heavy and solemn.

“Love is not and will never be evil. It is as I can tell you, patient and kind. It will never delight in any evil act, nor should anyone make use of it as an excuse to do evil deeds. Otherwise, how do we heal all the wickedness in the world?”

Something hums inside Dean. Something spreads in his chest that has always been there, blossoming into a solid being, meaningful and directed at the angel… at his only angel who has every right to speak of love the way it should be done.

“It seems all beings are meant to be flawed; emotions just heighten everything. It does make a slave of even the best of us. It makes us do stupid choices. But that’s why angels are stripped of emotion. Holding grace and power necessitates it or risk being ruled by it and abuse our power, as the Cherub did. God needs neutral angels to follow his word without question, without rebellion as Lucifer did… He doesn’t need another cesspool of your kind’s… variety.”

“I don’t judge him, okay?” Dean clarifies once he pulls himself out of admiring the angel up close, “It’s his choice and he paid for it, the woman he loves hates his memory, probably will even pretend he doesn’t exist and that’s a ten-year waste. But I don’t feel sorry for him. There will always be those with defects in the system.”

“He was broken.” Castiel bows his head.

“Hey, not all broken ones turn out a bad sort, Cas.” Dean assures him sincerely, his heart beating loud the way they are staring at each other deeply, his heart fluttering when the angel gazes back at him softly, full of love, “Sometimes they turn really well… better than the what they’re meant to be. Because they don’t try to be perfect.”

Cas searches his eyes.

“Do you think I’m a good sort, Dean?”

Dean smiles.

“I think I love you.”

It’s the most honest feeling he has, has had for many years and only let out in the spur of the moment. Dean knows it’s the golden powder, but whatever lithe feeling he was having, whatever euphoria it was that had his soul singing to the stars of finally admitting his feelings to his best friend is dampened by the unexpected coldness that dropped in the kitchen Bunker.

“No…” Castiel catches his eyes reflecting both horror and fear.

“Cas?” Dean doesn’t understand but something tells him it was not good or Castiel would not look so afraid. The lights flickered. The ground shook. Dean balls his fists in alertness.

“What’s happening?”

Castiel stands up slowly, Dean imitating his movement. Intense cold comes down upon them like something turned off the meaning of heat, sinking the Bunker at the bottom of the cold sea.

Something is coming, Dean could tell… something dark…malicious and evil. He quickly shoots Castiel a look and knows it’s Cas… it’s after Cas.

What is Castiel’s secret? Dean soon finds out.

**Author's Note:**

> 1 Corinthians 13 1  
> Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
> 
> This is Castiel's verse ;(


End file.
